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Garrett Brothers #2
Tides of Passion
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here and here.
NATIONAL READER'S CHOICE WINNER: BEST LONG HISTORICAL
Steamy, small-town, enemies to lovers historical romance!
Spirited Savannah Connor is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet, when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable.
Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man she's had the misfortune to meet. And, suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle — this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. And, avoiding love. But Savannah Connor isn’t an ordinary woman — and she proves hard to ignore. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions Zach thought he’d never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears. And risk his heart once more.
Love small-town, coastal Southern romance that sizzles? Independent heroines and alpha heroes? Tides of Passion is the novel for you!
NATIONAL READER'S CHOICE WINNER: BEST LONG HISTORICAL
Steamy, small-town, enemies to lovers historical romance!
Spirited Savannah Connor is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet, when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable.
Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man she's had the misfortune to meet. And, suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle — this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. And, avoiding love. But Savannah Connor isn’t an ordinary woman — and she proves hard to ignore. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions Zach thought he’d never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears. And risk his heart once more.
Love small-town, coastal Southern romance that sizzles? Independent heroines and alpha heroes? Tides of Passion is the novel for you!
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2002
438 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Sumner
60 books1,642 followers"Witty dialogue and steamy sensuality.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
The USA Today bestselling author's storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She’s a recipient of the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, Golden Leaf and MAGGIE among others. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before returning to NYC.
When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!
Find me everywhere on social here!
https://linktr.ee/tracysumner
—Publisher’s Weekly
The USA Today bestselling author's storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She’s a recipient of the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, Golden Leaf and MAGGIE among others. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before returning to NYC.
When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!
Find me everywhere on social here!
https://linktr.ee/tracysumner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 2, 2020
The performance Ms. Wetherell gives is one full of excitement! It is clear she is connected with the story with every word she reads.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
February 13, 2020
I read the first book in this series 8 year ago, so it was nice catching up with Elle and Noah from that book. While Elle is off finishing college, her friend Savannah takes over teaching at the girls school Elle founded. Small town island life in North Carolina is a far cry from NYC, and Savannah comes in like a hurricane. She's an ardent supporter of women's rights: the right to vote, equal pay, job opportunities for women, and of course that goes over well with the men in town.
Zach is the sheriff that keeps butting heads with Savannah for disturbing the peace, but the sparks are flying the whole time. Scandalously, Savannah decides that maybe having sex with Zach would be good for research, especially since she never wants to get married. Zach is all for it too, he's a widower who has no intentions of marrying again either. So they embark on a secretive friends with benefits fling, and what could go wrong?
I liked both Savannah and Zach, stubborn to the core but really good for each other. I really liked highlighting the women's movement of the time too.
Zach is the sheriff that keeps butting heads with Savannah for disturbing the peace, but the sparks are flying the whole time. Scandalously, Savannah decides that maybe having sex with Zach would be good for research, especially since she never wants to get married. Zach is all for it too, he's a widower who has no intentions of marrying again either. So they embark on a secretive friends with benefits fling, and what could go wrong?
I liked both Savannah and Zach, stubborn to the core but really good for each other. I really liked highlighting the women's movement of the time too.
April 19, 2021
Zach is the oldest Garrett brother, a constable raising his young son on his own since the death of his wife and baby. Everyone knows this grief-stricken man will never marry again, including Savannah. Savannah came to town to take over for Elle, and she spends her days fighting against social injustice. When these two cross paths, sparks fly.
Savannah and Zach are such complex and dynamic characters, and their romance is swoon-tastic!! This is a total opposites-attract love affair, and it totally works. Savannah is a northern city girl, and Zach is a southern country boy. She’s passionate about fighting for the rights of women, even when it gets her in trouble with the law. He’s the town Constable. They have every reason to clash, but instead, they connect on a deep and passionate level. Though they initially agree to have a relationship with no strings attached, it’s pretty clear from the beginning that their relationship is so much more than that.
Savannah is very independent and never saw love in her future until she met Zach. He shows her the promise of a future with him and his family, something she’s never had before. I love how they feel about each other and how they work through their misgivings and fears. Savannah, for example, has never felt part of a loving family, and she is surprised when she is so willingly welcomed into the Garrett family’s folds. She is also not overly comfortable with children and worries because Zach has a young son.
Zach, in turn, struggles so much with his feelings. Grief for the loss of his wife and child, guilt for moving on and finding happiness, fear of losing someone else he loves, as well as feeling unworthy of love. Zach has had a lot of responsibility in his life, and Savannah makes Zach feel like himself. He doesn’t have to be the constable or the calm voice of reason. With her, he can just be himself. Zach comes to realize that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the past or the love he had for his wife.
The banter between Savannah and Zach is fantastic, as they love to tease and badger each other. Savannah’s teasing and sarcastic wit, as well as Zach’s fantastic comebacks, are some of my favorite parts of the story. I also love that he admires her intellect and passion for gender equality. Though they don’t always see eye-to-eye, they respect each other, and as the story progresses, you can see Zach slowly finding hope and happiness again, and it is wonderful. Plus, their intimate scenes are steamy and totally swoon-worthy!
There are also some great scenes with the rest of the Garrett family. This is such a loving family, and they are always there for each other. I like how the family plays such an important part in all of their lives. They’ve worked hard to reconnect and heal the wounds from the past, and their relationship is repairing beautifully. I love how they advise and tease each other. The Garrett family cares deeply for each other, and their bond is wonderful.
Something else that I really like about this story and the series, in general, is that it brings to light the inequities of society, especially for women, during this time. This story takes place around twenty years before women gained the right to vote in America, and I love that the women, led by Savannah, fight for their rights and for a better future. All of the Garrett brothers’ love interests have strong beliefs and believe they should have the same opportunities as men. The Garrett brothers completely and wholeheartedly support their wives in their endeavors, which I adore!!
This is a great addition to the Seaswept Seduction Series! The characters are fantastic, the setting is wonderful, and the romance is steamy! I definitely recommend the book to lovers of historical romance! Thanks so much to Tracy Sumner for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Savannah and Zach are such complex and dynamic characters, and their romance is swoon-tastic!! This is a total opposites-attract love affair, and it totally works. Savannah is a northern city girl, and Zach is a southern country boy. She’s passionate about fighting for the rights of women, even when it gets her in trouble with the law. He’s the town Constable. They have every reason to clash, but instead, they connect on a deep and passionate level. Though they initially agree to have a relationship with no strings attached, it’s pretty clear from the beginning that their relationship is so much more than that.
Savannah is very independent and never saw love in her future until she met Zach. He shows her the promise of a future with him and his family, something she’s never had before. I love how they feel about each other and how they work through their misgivings and fears. Savannah, for example, has never felt part of a loving family, and she is surprised when she is so willingly welcomed into the Garrett family’s folds. She is also not overly comfortable with children and worries because Zach has a young son.
Zach, in turn, struggles so much with his feelings. Grief for the loss of his wife and child, guilt for moving on and finding happiness, fear of losing someone else he loves, as well as feeling unworthy of love. Zach has had a lot of responsibility in his life, and Savannah makes Zach feel like himself. He doesn’t have to be the constable or the calm voice of reason. With her, he can just be himself. Zach comes to realize that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the past or the love he had for his wife.
The banter between Savannah and Zach is fantastic, as they love to tease and badger each other. Savannah’s teasing and sarcastic wit, as well as Zach’s fantastic comebacks, are some of my favorite parts of the story. I also love that he admires her intellect and passion for gender equality. Though they don’t always see eye-to-eye, they respect each other, and as the story progresses, you can see Zach slowly finding hope and happiness again, and it is wonderful. Plus, their intimate scenes are steamy and totally swoon-worthy!
There are also some great scenes with the rest of the Garrett family. This is such a loving family, and they are always there for each other. I like how the family plays such an important part in all of their lives. They’ve worked hard to reconnect and heal the wounds from the past, and their relationship is repairing beautifully. I love how they advise and tease each other. The Garrett family cares deeply for each other, and their bond is wonderful.
Something else that I really like about this story and the series, in general, is that it brings to light the inequities of society, especially for women, during this time. This story takes place around twenty years before women gained the right to vote in America, and I love that the women, led by Savannah, fight for their rights and for a better future. All of the Garrett brothers’ love interests have strong beliefs and believe they should have the same opportunities as men. The Garrett brothers completely and wholeheartedly support their wives in their endeavors, which I adore!!
This is a great addition to the Seaswept Seduction Series! The characters are fantastic, the setting is wonderful, and the romance is steamy! I definitely recommend the book to lovers of historical romance! Thanks so much to Tracy Sumner for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
February 29, 2020
Southern, sizzling, and surprising! Lost myself in this incredible book. Set in a Southern coastal town, I love the strong women and influence of the women's rights movement. Would highly recommend!
June 25, 2020
I read the first book in the series and only gave it 3 stars, this was such a great improvement.
I liked both the main character's. Even though at times, it was repetitive over the deceased wife his feelings.
The backbone the h had added to the story. She had a tough side to push for rights of women in the late 1898. The year was the year my grandma was born and to see how women had to fight for things we take for granted today. But, the h had a soft side that slowly was peeled like an onion - slow and so worthwhile.
This is a stand alone story, even though book 2 of the series. The same character's cross over to this one and it was nice to see how they've grown in their relationships.
There is a lot of lovemaking, outside and within marriage, heat level 4.75 out of 5. Since I felt a connection to them it was filled with passion.
The reaction the h had over hearing several times the H state something was spot on. I felt I would react the same way and my heart ached for her.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romance builds slowly, loved the last chapter and epilogue - fantastic and steam. (ljb)
I liked both the main character's. Even though at times, it was repetitive over the deceased wife his feelings.
The backbone the h had added to the story. She had a tough side to push for rights of women in the late 1898. The year was the year my grandma was born and to see how women had to fight for things we take for granted today. But, the h had a soft side that slowly was peeled like an onion - slow and so worthwhile.
This is a stand alone story, even though book 2 of the series. The same character's cross over to this one and it was nice to see how they've grown in their relationships.
There is a lot of lovemaking, outside and within marriage, heat level 4.75 out of 5. Since I felt a connection to them it was filled with passion.
The reaction the h had over hearing several times the H state something was spot on. I felt I would react the same way and my heart ached for her.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romance builds slowly, loved the last chapter and epilogue - fantastic and steam. (ljb)
December 22, 2024
God I loved this book and the two main characters. She’s a fiery, spirited suffragette and he’s the local law, everyone’s hero as well as a lonely widowed single father.
It’s witty, funny, hot, romantic, sad and an absolute delight. I was so disappointed when it came to an end. Luckily there are two more in this series about the three Garrett brothers, happy days!
This is the second American based story of Tracy’s that I’ve read and have to say I really enjoy the different flavour from the “English High Society” romance. I find the characters more relatable.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tracy Sumner is one of my favourite historical romance, with a side of spice, authors and I would definitely recommend her books to anyone who enjoys that genre.
It’s witty, funny, hot, romantic, sad and an absolute delight. I was so disappointed when it came to an end. Luckily there are two more in this series about the three Garrett brothers, happy days!
This is the second American based story of Tracy’s that I’ve read and have to say I really enjoy the different flavour from the “English High Society” romance. I find the characters more relatable.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tracy Sumner is one of my favourite historical romance, with a side of spice, authors and I would definitely recommend her books to anyone who enjoys that genre.
March 30, 2020
North Carolina 1898
"Savannah knew she was in trouble a split second before he reached her. Flinging her fist into the air, she stared him down as she shouted, "Fight for your rights, women of Pilot Isle.""
Constable Zachariah Garrett just wanted peace in his town and he went head to head with Savannah for inciting discord. To say their banter was fascinating is putting it mildly. Zach had such grief surrounding him from the loss of his wife, although he did have his son. He did not want to deal with this woman and the uproar she was creating.
Can I just say I loved this story? As hard as they try they cannot prevent the sparks and pull they have to each other. I was enthralled seeing their story unfold and it won my heart!
"Savannah knew she was in trouble a split second before he reached her. Flinging her fist into the air, she stared him down as she shouted, "Fight for your rights, women of Pilot Isle.""
Constable Zachariah Garrett just wanted peace in his town and he went head to head with Savannah for inciting discord. To say their banter was fascinating is putting it mildly. Zach had such grief surrounding him from the loss of his wife, although he did have his son. He did not want to deal with this woman and the uproar she was creating.
Can I just say I loved this story? As hard as they try they cannot prevent the sparks and pull they have to each other. I was enthralled seeing their story unfold and it won my heart!
June 1, 2020
While I often read historical regency romances, I don't usually enjoy American Historicals, but this was a pleasant exception and a very original read. I found myself laughing out loud and highlighting clever and poignant lines throughout my Kindle copy.
Even though I did not read the first book in this series I was able to jump into the characters and the world this author built with ease.
I especially enjoyed the suffragette angle and the juxtaposition between city girl vs small-town guy. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is hot and I love how it builds as the story progresses. I was definitely rooting for their happily ever after.
Even though I did not read the first book in this series I was able to jump into the characters and the world this author built with ease.
I especially enjoyed the suffragette angle and the juxtaposition between city girl vs small-town guy. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is hot and I love how it builds as the story progresses. I was definitely rooting for their happily ever after.
March 24, 2025
Excellent second book in this series .., superb writing and a great romance!
March 9, 2020
Suffering💕 The Suffragette💃💋
ADULT Historical American Romance💕
Pilot Island, South Carolina, 1898
Savannah Connor💃💋, a yankee social reformer, is an outsider to Pilot Isle, and is there to organize the working women at the oyster factory to fight for their rights. Unfortunately, she is stopped right in the middle of her soapbox spiel by Zachariah Garrett🐺🍆⛲, the town constable. Fortunately for Savannah, Zach🐺🍆⛲ is a tall, lean hipped, handsome hunk of a man, and a widower with a young son.
Zach🐺🍆⛲ is drawn to well educated and beautiful Savannah💃💋 immediately, but the memory of his late wife tries to keep him from loving💕 again.
Savannah💃💋 has never loved, never known a man, never even had a true kiss💋, but Zach🐺🍆⛲ makes her want to experience everything about him.
ARC Provided by Book📚Sirens💃
I also got this ebook with KU.
I absolutely loved this book! The writing and the story is vastly superior to most every ADULT Historical Romance I have read in the past four years. Highly recommend to all lovers of ADULT Romance.
This book is a wonderful and timeless love💘 story about a man who thought he never wanted to live or 💘love again, and a young woman who never knew what love💘 was...
ADULT Historical American Romance💕
Pilot Island, South Carolina, 1898
Savannah Connor💃💋, a yankee social reformer, is an outsider to Pilot Isle, and is there to organize the working women at the oyster factory to fight for their rights. Unfortunately, she is stopped right in the middle of her soapbox spiel by Zachariah Garrett🐺🍆⛲, the town constable. Fortunately for Savannah, Zach🐺🍆⛲ is a tall, lean hipped, handsome hunk of a man, and a widower with a young son.
Zach🐺🍆⛲ is drawn to well educated and beautiful Savannah💃💋 immediately, but the memory of his late wife tries to keep him from loving💕 again.
Savannah💃💋 has never loved, never known a man, never even had a true kiss💋, but Zach🐺🍆⛲ makes her want to experience everything about him.
ARC Provided by Book📚Sirens💃
I also got this ebook with KU.
I absolutely loved this book! The writing and the story is vastly superior to most every ADULT Historical Romance I have read in the past four years. Highly recommend to all lovers of ADULT Romance.
This book is a wonderful and timeless love💘 story about a man who thought he never wanted to live or 💘love again, and a young woman who never knew what love💘 was...
June 10, 2013
Absolutely passionate. When headstrong Savannah Connor, activist from New York, meets Zach Garrett, the constable and keeper of peace in Pilot Isle, trouble brews and sparks fly. Savannah is a liberated woman, determined to keep herself independent from any man's control whereas Zach is a wounded widower determined to never love or marry again.
When the two decide on a friends with benefits arrangement, neither is prepared for the depth and strength of their hidden desires. Always with their wires crossed, they make passionate love under the sheets but fight like cats and dogs in front of the town, that is, until the day they're caught together in the town jail.
Tracy Sumner has written an entertaining and easy to read romance that'll have you delighted. The cast of characters will each have a place in your heart, but the most satisfying is seeing how two headstrong people work out the hurts and pains in their heart and admit to the love that silently crept into their hearts.
This is definitely a book I'll read again.
When the two decide on a friends with benefits arrangement, neither is prepared for the depth and strength of their hidden desires. Always with their wires crossed, they make passionate love under the sheets but fight like cats and dogs in front of the town, that is, until the day they're caught together in the town jail.
Tracy Sumner has written an entertaining and easy to read romance that'll have you delighted. The cast of characters will each have a place in your heart, but the most satisfying is seeing how two headstrong people work out the hurts and pains in their heart and admit to the love that silently crept into their hearts.
This is definitely a book I'll read again.
December 15, 2020
Of the three books in this series, I’m not sure why this is the one I chose to read last, but I can say without a doubt, this one is my favorite. And it is aptly named. This is the story of Zachariah Garrett and Savannah Connor (Elle’s friend from NYC). I was amused to find that the author was not setting up a future romance between Zach and Savannah when she wrote the end of Tides of Love. It seemed like a clear hint of what was to come. I guess when you allow the characters to tell the story, you end up with serendipitous circumstances like that.
I found myself smiling for every interaction between Savannah and Zach because it was so clear they were enjoying themselves. Zach, unable to forgive himself for the death of his wife during childbirth, feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, while Savannah is a ball of energy and excitement, ushering in hope he thought he’d never feel again. Watching her from afar, Zach decides that “She looked magnificent. Radiant. Like a star thrust into a dark box.” He admires her brains and her passion as much as her beauty and, wisely, knows that he must never try to constrain her. At one point, when she has done something he doesn't like, he suspects she feels clever and “He imagined she would clap her hands if she thought she could get away with it.” And the banter between them is captivating and wonderful, like when they engage in a bit of negotiation and she says to him, “Fine then, don’t you have another stipulation tucked away in that dusty jar atop your neck?”
Everyone knows that Zach will never marry again, never love another. Elle, knowing Savannah never wishes to marry, tries to convince her to partake in carnal pleasures with Zach, telling her, “Do it once, and you’ll never be able to think of anything else. Every time he walks into the room, boom, like a bolt of lightning, there goes your mind right out the door.” Savannah doesn’t need much convincing, and as it turns out, neither does Zach. Thus, begins their secret trysts, both committed to never marrying and never falling in love. Of course, it’s never really possible to prevent love, and times being what they were, it wasn’t always possible to prevent marriage either. As Zach observed to himself, “Didn't God just have a fun time up there, throwing huge boulders in a man’s path?” Indeed.
Aside from the scenes involving Savannah and Zach, of which there were many and they were intense, there are also some really fun scenes with Zach and his brothers—horsing around, pushing one another (literally and figuratively), and demonstrating what it means to be a family. It’s an enlightening thing for Savannah to experience, and for someone who has always felt like she was on the outside looking in, “It almost felt as if she had lifted her nose from the glass pane and come inside. For the first time ever.”
Zach, big brother to Caleb and Noah, and protector to everyone else, is surprisingly in need of guidance and his brothers are there to help him. Noah, in particular, helps Zach to see a few things that have been staring him in the face for a while. Asked a probing question, “Zach couldn’t have predicted his answer, so the one that popped out had all the earmarks of truth he should have known but didn’t.” Pushed further, he felt “thought seeping from his brain like water from a leaky bucket.” There is never really any doubt that they will fall in love with one another, but when Zach says, “I was lost until you came into my life,” it is the truest thing he could have said.
I found myself smiling for every interaction between Savannah and Zach because it was so clear they were enjoying themselves. Zach, unable to forgive himself for the death of his wife during childbirth, feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, while Savannah is a ball of energy and excitement, ushering in hope he thought he’d never feel again. Watching her from afar, Zach decides that “She looked magnificent. Radiant. Like a star thrust into a dark box.” He admires her brains and her passion as much as her beauty and, wisely, knows that he must never try to constrain her. At one point, when she has done something he doesn't like, he suspects she feels clever and “He imagined she would clap her hands if she thought she could get away with it.” And the banter between them is captivating and wonderful, like when they engage in a bit of negotiation and she says to him, “Fine then, don’t you have another stipulation tucked away in that dusty jar atop your neck?”
Everyone knows that Zach will never marry again, never love another. Elle, knowing Savannah never wishes to marry, tries to convince her to partake in carnal pleasures with Zach, telling her, “Do it once, and you’ll never be able to think of anything else. Every time he walks into the room, boom, like a bolt of lightning, there goes your mind right out the door.” Savannah doesn’t need much convincing, and as it turns out, neither does Zach. Thus, begins their secret trysts, both committed to never marrying and never falling in love. Of course, it’s never really possible to prevent love, and times being what they were, it wasn’t always possible to prevent marriage either. As Zach observed to himself, “Didn't God just have a fun time up there, throwing huge boulders in a man’s path?” Indeed.
Aside from the scenes involving Savannah and Zach, of which there were many and they were intense, there are also some really fun scenes with Zach and his brothers—horsing around, pushing one another (literally and figuratively), and demonstrating what it means to be a family. It’s an enlightening thing for Savannah to experience, and for someone who has always felt like she was on the outside looking in, “It almost felt as if she had lifted her nose from the glass pane and come inside. For the first time ever.”
Zach, big brother to Caleb and Noah, and protector to everyone else, is surprisingly in need of guidance and his brothers are there to help him. Noah, in particular, helps Zach to see a few things that have been staring him in the face for a while. Asked a probing question, “Zach couldn’t have predicted his answer, so the one that popped out had all the earmarks of truth he should have known but didn’t.” Pushed further, he felt “thought seeping from his brain like water from a leaky bucket.” There is never really any doubt that they will fall in love with one another, but when Zach says, “I was lost until you came into my life,” it is the truest thing he could have said.
June 15, 2020
First, thank you to BookSirens for granting me a free copy of this book; I'm voluntarily giving it an honest review!
This was my first time reading Tracy Sumner’s work so I was pretty excited to experience a new historical romance author!
I realized not long into the book that this was just one in a series and that I received the tale of the eldest Garrett brother, Zachariah. Zachariah Garrett is the constable in a seaside town in North Carolina on the cusp of the Edwardian Era. He’s a kind, loved-by-all, widowed father of one little boy, Rory. His little town seems a generally uneventful place so any new occurrence/arrival or event is equally welcomed and speculated by all. Life has been quiet for him since the death of his wife, Hannah, and their unborn child.
Savannah Connor is a city girl. Blowing in from New York with her big ideas and big smiles, she comes to Zach’s small town to shake things with protests for women’s rights and progression. We understand right off the bat that Savannah was raised like many New York women, matriculation at great schools with expectations of behaving like a lady and aspiring to marriage. Savannah is far from a wallflower and doesn’t care who she upsets, she’s strong and adamant about her cause.
Our two leads both find themselves out of place in this small town. Although Zach was born, raised, and built his adult life there, everyone in town has a muddled view of who he actually is. They put him on this pedestal of goodness and innocence believing him incapable of anything rash or immoral. Savannah is a newcomer who’s loved by many but still disrupts the fabric of their daily lives with outbursts, new ideas, and rallying of women to demand better for themselves. Of course, these two characters are bound to meet with Zach trying to keep control in town and Savannah doing her darndest to effect change.
Both are single – one by choice and the other by cruel fate. They may find themselves on opposing sides of law and order but neither is blind to the attraction they hold for one another. They arrange to indulge in this attraction with strict discretion, no love, and no marriage rules. Of course, this begins well and ends in disaster as their lust grows into love and unforeseeable circumstances require them to alter their previously made arrangement.
I like both characters the only issue I took presented itself towards the end when Savannah runs away to NY at a time when Zach needs her the most. It was strange for her character - it seemed very selfish, something that I don't recall seeing in her beforehand.
This book treats us to a delightful and organic blossoming of love. Sumner’s language and turn of a phrase made this book. I can honestly say if this same story wasn’t written with the same care for language and dialogue, I may not have found it interesting.
This was my first time reading Tracy Sumner’s work so I was pretty excited to experience a new historical romance author!
I realized not long into the book that this was just one in a series and that I received the tale of the eldest Garrett brother, Zachariah. Zachariah Garrett is the constable in a seaside town in North Carolina on the cusp of the Edwardian Era. He’s a kind, loved-by-all, widowed father of one little boy, Rory. His little town seems a generally uneventful place so any new occurrence/arrival or event is equally welcomed and speculated by all. Life has been quiet for him since the death of his wife, Hannah, and their unborn child.
Savannah Connor is a city girl. Blowing in from New York with her big ideas and big smiles, she comes to Zach’s small town to shake things with protests for women’s rights and progression. We understand right off the bat that Savannah was raised like many New York women, matriculation at great schools with expectations of behaving like a lady and aspiring to marriage. Savannah is far from a wallflower and doesn’t care who she upsets, she’s strong and adamant about her cause.
Our two leads both find themselves out of place in this small town. Although Zach was born, raised, and built his adult life there, everyone in town has a muddled view of who he actually is. They put him on this pedestal of goodness and innocence believing him incapable of anything rash or immoral. Savannah is a newcomer who’s loved by many but still disrupts the fabric of their daily lives with outbursts, new ideas, and rallying of women to demand better for themselves. Of course, these two characters are bound to meet with Zach trying to keep control in town and Savannah doing her darndest to effect change.
Both are single – one by choice and the other by cruel fate. They may find themselves on opposing sides of law and order but neither is blind to the attraction they hold for one another. They arrange to indulge in this attraction with strict discretion, no love, and no marriage rules. Of course, this begins well and ends in disaster as their lust grows into love and unforeseeable circumstances require them to alter their previously made arrangement.
I like both characters the only issue I took presented itself towards the end when Savannah runs away to NY at a time when Zach needs her the most. It was strange for her character - it seemed very selfish, something that I don't recall seeing in her beforehand.
This book treats us to a delightful and organic blossoming of love. Sumner’s language and turn of a phrase made this book. I can honestly say if this same story wasn’t written with the same care for language and dialogue, I may not have found it interesting.
January 28, 2020
Duration: 10 hts 53 mins.
Publisher: Tracy Sumner.
🔥Steamy content!🔥
Tides of Passion, Garrett Brothers, Book 2 by Tracy Sumner follows spirited suffragette Savannah Connor to a small Southern coastal town, where she immediately locks horns with the devastatingly-handsome local Constable, widower Zachariah Garrett. An enemies-to-lovers romance, this audiobook proves that sparks often fly when two world collide.
Set in North Carolina in 1898, Tides of Passion is a steamy American historical romance that proved very easy to listen to, despite not having heard the first book in the series. While there are a few 'spoilers' for the first book, I think, it certainly worked well as a stand-alone.
I'm not familiar enough with the period to know how historically accurate the costume descriptions and language were, as a lot of the dialogue in American historicals always seems very contemporary to my British (Regency-tuned) ear.
I liked the inclusion of the women's rights movement, but thought it was a shame that it only seemed to inform Savannah's perspective in an antagonistic sense, and was often presented as being wholly at odds with femininity. It would have been fantastic to see their values and beliefs incorporated more fully into their lives and families, rather than just being used as a point of conflict. This was sweetly addressed in the epilogue, but it was a shame not to have integrated it a little more earlier on.
It was nice to be able to lose myself in the story and just let the pretty words flow over me like the waves around Pilot Isle. Listening on a very fatigued week meant that I needed something that was relaxing but not dull, and this fit the bill, with the feisty relationship between the protagonists helping stave off any stagnation.
I enjoyed the quotes from principled men and strong women at the beginning of each chapter, tying Savannah's story to the activists and abolitionists who made writing it possible.
The intimate scenes were sensual rather than graphic, with the focus centering on the feelings generated by their union more than the nitty-gritty of the coupling itself.
When this story began, one of the things I liked most was the open communication between the hero and heroine. I hoped that this meant it would not become one of those books where a single conversation could have averted the huge misunderstanding that drives the plot and keeps the lovers apart. Sadly, their candour diminishes in inverse proportion to the deepening of their affections, and their behaviour becomes rather immature as a result.
Other than that, it was a nice seaside escape to a small town far away in time and place, and was very easy to listen to. I liked the Garrett brothers and the community in Pilot Isle, and will be checking out the other audiobooks in the series.
The narrator, Kimberly M Wetherell, performed the book well, with a friendly voice, nice tone, and good pacing. I wish her voice for Zach had been more rounded and resonant, but it's always difficult for female narrators to really deliver a swoon-worthy hero.
I'd recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes historical romance or enemies-to-lovers romance, and doesn't mind a few crossed wires along the way.
*I received this audiobook free of charge in the hope of an honest, unbiased review.
(Click here to buy this book, listen to a sample, or add it to your wishlist!)
You can read the full review on my blog.
If you liked this review then please join me for more!
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Publisher: Tracy Sumner.
🔥Steamy content!🔥
Tides of Passion, Garrett Brothers, Book 2 by Tracy Sumner follows spirited suffragette Savannah Connor to a small Southern coastal town, where she immediately locks horns with the devastatingly-handsome local Constable, widower Zachariah Garrett. An enemies-to-lovers romance, this audiobook proves that sparks often fly when two world collide.
Set in North Carolina in 1898, Tides of Passion is a steamy American historical romance that proved very easy to listen to, despite not having heard the first book in the series. While there are a few 'spoilers' for the first book, I think, it certainly worked well as a stand-alone.
I'm not familiar enough with the period to know how historically accurate the costume descriptions and language were, as a lot of the dialogue in American historicals always seems very contemporary to my British (Regency-tuned) ear.
I liked the inclusion of the women's rights movement, but thought it was a shame that it only seemed to inform Savannah's perspective in an antagonistic sense, and was often presented as being wholly at odds with femininity. It would have been fantastic to see their values and beliefs incorporated more fully into their lives and families, rather than just being used as a point of conflict. This was sweetly addressed in the epilogue, but it was a shame not to have integrated it a little more earlier on.
It was nice to be able to lose myself in the story and just let the pretty words flow over me like the waves around Pilot Isle. Listening on a very fatigued week meant that I needed something that was relaxing but not dull, and this fit the bill, with the feisty relationship between the protagonists helping stave off any stagnation.
I enjoyed the quotes from principled men and strong women at the beginning of each chapter, tying Savannah's story to the activists and abolitionists who made writing it possible.
The intimate scenes were sensual rather than graphic, with the focus centering on the feelings generated by their union more than the nitty-gritty of the coupling itself.
When this story began, one of the things I liked most was the open communication between the hero and heroine. I hoped that this meant it would not become one of those books where a single conversation could have averted the huge misunderstanding that drives the plot and keeps the lovers apart. Sadly, their candour diminishes in inverse proportion to the deepening of their affections, and their behaviour becomes rather immature as a result.
Other than that, it was a nice seaside escape to a small town far away in time and place, and was very easy to listen to. I liked the Garrett brothers and the community in Pilot Isle, and will be checking out the other audiobooks in the series.
The narrator, Kimberly M Wetherell, performed the book well, with a friendly voice, nice tone, and good pacing. I wish her voice for Zach had been more rounded and resonant, but it's always difficult for female narrators to really deliver a swoon-worthy hero.
I'd recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes historical romance or enemies-to-lovers romance, and doesn't mind a few crossed wires along the way.
*I received this audiobook free of charge in the hope of an honest, unbiased review.
(Click here to buy this book, listen to a sample, or add it to your wishlist!)
You can read the full review on my blog.
If you liked this review then please join me for more!
| Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |
November 26, 2021
Savannah Connor se nos presenta en la primera parte como la amiga neoyorkina de Elle, con la que vivió algunos altercados en las manifestaciones sufragistas. Aquí, conoceremos a una Savannah activista, cuyo objetivo de vida es la lucha por los derechos de la mujer. Llega a Pilot Isle para ayudar en la escuela de señoritas de Elle, mientras esta termina sus estudios universitarios. Sin embargo, la vida en la isla necesita un poco de animación y comienza a alborotar a todo el pueblo, cuando se lanza a defender un sueldo igualitario para las mujeres que trabajan en la fábrica de ostras.
Zachariah Garrett es el hermano mayor de los Garrett, el que tuvo que hacerse cargo de su familia cuando su padre se marchó y su madre falleció. Dejando atrás su vida de marinero, volvió a casa, comenzó a trabajar como aguacil y se casó con Hannah, una esposa que amaba, pero a la que también tuvo que cuidar hasta su muerte. Su vida ahora se resume en cuidar del pequeño Rory y solucionar los problemas de la isla. Así, se ha ganado la admiración de todos su vecinos que lo tratan casi como si fuese un santo. Pero, a veces, Zach echa de menos al antiguo Garrett que quería comerse el mundo y vivir la vida, lo que comienza a ocurrir cuando Savannah altere la paz de la isla, que tantos quebraderos de cabeza le provoca.
Ninguno de los dos desea enamorarse y mucho menos contraer matrimonio, pero tras una intensa charla en una cena, entre ambos saltarán chispas y surgirá el acuerdo de verse en la intimidad, sin que los sentimientos tomen partido. Sin embargo, a veces, amistad y amor, no son fáciles de separar...
Leí esta novela como si viese una película. Tenía a los personajes todo el día en la cabeza, con ganas de sentarme a leer para saber cómo continuaría su historia. Como os decía al inicio, en esta ocasión me ha resultado muy sencillo seguir la trama y por tanto, empatizar con los protagonistas. Savannah me ha resultado una mujer intrépida, fuerte y luchadora, al igual que Zach me parece especialmente valiente y tierno, que ha dejado que la culpa inunde su vida, pero que tiene inmensas ganas de coger las riendas y empezar a vivir de nuevo.
La relación que se forja entre ambos, no es la típica que suelo encontrar en las novelas de romance histórico: dos personajes que deciden verse a escondidas, para evitar que la sociedad los empuje a un matrimonio que no desean. Lo cual, me parece especialmente sorprendente por parte de Savannah, una mujer virgen que desconoce cualquier acercamiento con un hombre, pero que tiene mucha curiosidad y está dispuesta a saciarla. No teme el momento, ni perder su honra.
Es una historia bonita, divertida y con un final, algo tenso, pero esperado.
Zachariah Garrett es el hermano mayor de los Garrett, el que tuvo que hacerse cargo de su familia cuando su padre se marchó y su madre falleció. Dejando atrás su vida de marinero, volvió a casa, comenzó a trabajar como aguacil y se casó con Hannah, una esposa que amaba, pero a la que también tuvo que cuidar hasta su muerte. Su vida ahora se resume en cuidar del pequeño Rory y solucionar los problemas de la isla. Así, se ha ganado la admiración de todos su vecinos que lo tratan casi como si fuese un santo. Pero, a veces, Zach echa de menos al antiguo Garrett que quería comerse el mundo y vivir la vida, lo que comienza a ocurrir cuando Savannah altere la paz de la isla, que tantos quebraderos de cabeza le provoca.
Ninguno de los dos desea enamorarse y mucho menos contraer matrimonio, pero tras una intensa charla en una cena, entre ambos saltarán chispas y surgirá el acuerdo de verse en la intimidad, sin que los sentimientos tomen partido. Sin embargo, a veces, amistad y amor, no son fáciles de separar...
Leí esta novela como si viese una película. Tenía a los personajes todo el día en la cabeza, con ganas de sentarme a leer para saber cómo continuaría su historia. Como os decía al inicio, en esta ocasión me ha resultado muy sencillo seguir la trama y por tanto, empatizar con los protagonistas. Savannah me ha resultado una mujer intrépida, fuerte y luchadora, al igual que Zach me parece especialmente valiente y tierno, que ha dejado que la culpa inunde su vida, pero que tiene inmensas ganas de coger las riendas y empezar a vivir de nuevo.
La relación que se forja entre ambos, no es la típica que suelo encontrar en las novelas de romance histórico: dos personajes que deciden verse a escondidas, para evitar que la sociedad los empuje a un matrimonio que no desean. Lo cual, me parece especialmente sorprendente por parte de Savannah, una mujer virgen que desconoce cualquier acercamiento con un hombre, pero que tiene mucha curiosidad y está dispuesta a saciarla. No teme el momento, ni perder su honra.
Es una historia bonita, divertida y con un final, algo tenso, pero esperado.
December 7, 2024
4 ⭐️
Zach is the eldest Garret brother, and all-around daddy to the town of Pilot Isle as well as his own very precious son, Rory. He lost his wife a few years ago in childbirth, but even in his reminiscence, he acknowledges she was too fragile and soft for married life. He's the Constable of the town and just trying to do his best for his brothers, son, and everyone in the town (a certified saint). Savanah is a fast-talking independent suffragette from NYC who came to run the school in Elle's absence. But it doesn't take long to get embroiled in the injustices going on in the town, and preaching equal pay for the women in Pilot Isle. Putting her at a crossroads with the man trying to maintain order in the town. But these two can't seem to keep their chemistry contained, and soon find themselves thrown together quite often.
This has:
✨ constable X suffragette
✨ small beach town in North Carolina
✨ widower and single dad
✨ city girl X country boy
✨ Irish FMC
This one starts off pretty fast and furious with the spice as Zach and Savannah can absolutely not resist their attraction to each other. Their chemistry physically might be off the charts, but both believe they're too fundamentally different to be together. And neither have plans to marry (again in Zach's case). That doesn't mean they can ignore the heat between them, so they don't. And I LOVE that for them, truly. Their negotiations and arguments always lead to some great scenes! These two both also have such legitimate reason for not wanting to get married it took me a while to figure out how this might shake out. While I'm all for a progressive spin, I knew it wouldn't fly in this small North Carolina town. At some point, they'd have to get married or stop what they were doing.
Tracy Sumner did it again! She created an emotionally unavailable, heartbreaking, but also so very lovable hero who I was so pissed at for like a third of this book. And then THIS MAN goes and does it so very right. Read this if you love a couple who's constantly at each other's throats but also can't keep their hands off each other. Also, brotherhood, because this series has that in so many spades! The Garret brothers are all such a treasure, and I've loved getting to know and fall in love with each of these idiots.
Zach is the eldest Garret brother, and all-around daddy to the town of Pilot Isle as well as his own very precious son, Rory. He lost his wife a few years ago in childbirth, but even in his reminiscence, he acknowledges she was too fragile and soft for married life. He's the Constable of the town and just trying to do his best for his brothers, son, and everyone in the town (a certified saint). Savanah is a fast-talking independent suffragette from NYC who came to run the school in Elle's absence. But it doesn't take long to get embroiled in the injustices going on in the town, and preaching equal pay for the women in Pilot Isle. Putting her at a crossroads with the man trying to maintain order in the town. But these two can't seem to keep their chemistry contained, and soon find themselves thrown together quite often.
This has:
✨ constable X suffragette
✨ small beach town in North Carolina
✨ widower and single dad
✨ city girl X country boy
✨ Irish FMC
This one starts off pretty fast and furious with the spice as Zach and Savannah can absolutely not resist their attraction to each other. Their chemistry physically might be off the charts, but both believe they're too fundamentally different to be together. And neither have plans to marry (again in Zach's case). That doesn't mean they can ignore the heat between them, so they don't. And I LOVE that for them, truly. Their negotiations and arguments always lead to some great scenes! These two both also have such legitimate reason for not wanting to get married it took me a while to figure out how this might shake out. While I'm all for a progressive spin, I knew it wouldn't fly in this small North Carolina town. At some point, they'd have to get married or stop what they were doing.
Tracy Sumner did it again! She created an emotionally unavailable, heartbreaking, but also so very lovable hero who I was so pissed at for like a third of this book. And then THIS MAN goes and does it so very right. Read this if you love a couple who's constantly at each other's throats but also can't keep their hands off each other. Also, brotherhood, because this series has that in so many spades! The Garret brothers are all such a treasure, and I've loved getting to know and fall in love with each of these idiots.
December 22, 2018
An Independent Woman
Savannah was new in town. She arrived to fight for women's rights. This was unheard of. The Constable was called to settle the riot she had started because women were being paid half of what men were paid for the same work. He tried to apprehend her but found her wilful and headstrong and ready to fight. He took her to the jailhouse where his office was to stop the riot. However, he was very attracted to her despite what a handful she was. Her own father had disowned her. The attraction between them was mutual but he had not finished grieving the death of his physically frail wife and unborn second child. She put a proposition to him. She was willing to experiment with him to try sex out. Marriage was not an option. He had not realised quite how lonely he was since his wife died, but actually he carried a great deal of guilt about his wife's death. He felt she was not robust enough to cope with his sexual appetite. He felt he had killed her and his baby. Savanna was a far stronger woman with a sexual appetite to match his own. Having indulged in uninhibited very active passionate love-making, it troubled Savanna that he still loved his wife more, as shown in the following extract:
"If she went to him now, she would never know, as she lay there after their lovemaking, listening to him breathe and watching the moonlight play across his skin, whether he wished she were not his wife." They were caught in the jail clearly making love, by the doctor (and some friends), who was also interested in her, instantly spread the disgraceful news. They were compelled to marry. Suddenly it was doubtful that he really wanted her.
"Before, the after had been so good. He had wanted her by his side, pulling her against his body and telling her not to leave. Somehow, being his wife made a difference. In heart or gut, wherever this tortured feeling inside her was coming from."
Zach was a well-developed character but I hated his blasphemy. Quotation:
"Christ, what happened? It feels like someone took a hammer to my head."
It would be a very pleasant change if someone actually wrote books without the cursing and blasphemy.
I enjoyed this story.
Savannah was new in town. She arrived to fight for women's rights. This was unheard of. The Constable was called to settle the riot she had started because women were being paid half of what men were paid for the same work. He tried to apprehend her but found her wilful and headstrong and ready to fight. He took her to the jailhouse where his office was to stop the riot. However, he was very attracted to her despite what a handful she was. Her own father had disowned her. The attraction between them was mutual but he had not finished grieving the death of his physically frail wife and unborn second child. She put a proposition to him. She was willing to experiment with him to try sex out. Marriage was not an option. He had not realised quite how lonely he was since his wife died, but actually he carried a great deal of guilt about his wife's death. He felt she was not robust enough to cope with his sexual appetite. He felt he had killed her and his baby. Savanna was a far stronger woman with a sexual appetite to match his own. Having indulged in uninhibited very active passionate love-making, it troubled Savanna that he still loved his wife more, as shown in the following extract:
"If she went to him now, she would never know, as she lay there after their lovemaking, listening to him breathe and watching the moonlight play across his skin, whether he wished she were not his wife." They were caught in the jail clearly making love, by the doctor (and some friends), who was also interested in her, instantly spread the disgraceful news. They were compelled to marry. Suddenly it was doubtful that he really wanted her.
"Before, the after had been so good. He had wanted her by his side, pulling her against his body and telling her not to leave. Somehow, being his wife made a difference. In heart or gut, wherever this tortured feeling inside her was coming from."
Zach was a well-developed character but I hated his blasphemy. Quotation:
"Christ, what happened? It feels like someone took a hammer to my head."
It would be a very pleasant change if someone actually wrote books without the cursing and blasphemy.
I enjoyed this story.
October 15, 2020
Savannah Connor is in the middle of her speech on Women's rights when her activities are curtained by none other than Zachariah (Zach) Garret the constable in Pilot Isle, North Carolina. It is 1898, and from the very first pages of Tides of Passion by Tracy Sumner, I dove right into this historical fiction novel. So it is no secret that I love a really good hook and the chemistry between Savannah and Zach just really sizzles. You have a strong, independent woman (translate that to stubborn and feisty) to contrast with a very strong minded man (alpha) and they are at odds because Savannah's very mission is to stir things up and help develop awareness of women's rights.
It is hard not to like Savannah. She is a crusader, and her confidence and passion are her main drives. Her attraction to Zach is obvious, but she isn't sure what to think of his strict ways. Rory, Zach's son, is a doll and so much fun. I do feel that Tracy Sumner is a show not tell author, which makes all the difference. Diving into Tides of Passion gave us a few updates on prior characters from the first novel in the Garrett Brothers series. There are quite a few new characters in town that really add to the story.
The coastal town in North Carolina is described so well that I can picture it and now I want to visit! Out of curiosity, I looked it up and can't find it...so I assume it is a fictional town. That surprised me, because the setting was described so naturally within the book that it felt real.
My favorite part of reading a Tracy Sumner novel is the writing. She always has something surprising for the reader. In Tides of Passion it is the humor. There are so many scenes that are just funny. Even with the steamy passion between Zach and Savannah (and their sizzling sex scenes), there were so many times where I genuinely laughed. I love a good read that can take me away, and Tides of Passion does that. The writing flows, the humor, passion and tone is perfect. I also like the historical accuracy!
Overall, a fun read and a good look at the character development of Zach and Savannah in a fun, steamy historical romance! Love the quotes at the beginning of each chapter!!!!
It is hard not to like Savannah. She is a crusader, and her confidence and passion are her main drives. Her attraction to Zach is obvious, but she isn't sure what to think of his strict ways. Rory, Zach's son, is a doll and so much fun. I do feel that Tracy Sumner is a show not tell author, which makes all the difference. Diving into Tides of Passion gave us a few updates on prior characters from the first novel in the Garrett Brothers series. There are quite a few new characters in town that really add to the story.
The coastal town in North Carolina is described so well that I can picture it and now I want to visit! Out of curiosity, I looked it up and can't find it...so I assume it is a fictional town. That surprised me, because the setting was described so naturally within the book that it felt real.
My favorite part of reading a Tracy Sumner novel is the writing. She always has something surprising for the reader. In Tides of Passion it is the humor. There are so many scenes that are just funny. Even with the steamy passion between Zach and Savannah (and their sizzling sex scenes), there were so many times where I genuinely laughed. I love a good read that can take me away, and Tides of Passion does that. The writing flows, the humor, passion and tone is perfect. I also like the historical accuracy!
Overall, a fun read and a good look at the character development of Zach and Savannah in a fun, steamy historical romance! Love the quotes at the beginning of each chapter!!!!
June 25, 2020
When two immovable forces collide and fall in bed. Review of Tides of Passion.
I voluntarily agreed to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I've read by this author. I didn't read the first however, I will definitely read it now. This book was smart and funny and dealt with serious social issues. It also had sex scenes that were very hot. Savannah Connor ( it used to be O’Connor but had to change it b/c of the prejudices of the day against the Irish) is surrogate fighting for women rights. Zach Garret is the constable of the town she is protesting in. Zacharia arrests Savanna in the streets where she protests and takes her to the police station. Zacharia threatens to throw in jail and Savanna dares him too. Zacharia is a widower with a son and a wife he still loves, however, he can not resist the allure of this beautiful provocative women who drives him insane with her incendiary views of the world. They are total opposites who are very drawn towards each other despite their political views. I loved these two. They were funny and liked how they tried to one-up each other. As if they were playing chess. Lol. The dialogue was crisp and sharp and as I said before very funny. I also love the scene when Savanna tries to recruit one of the women (Lydia) in town to join forces with her cause despite Zacharia’s demand not too. Lol. Also, Lydia telling her friend Sallie that there must be so ethic too Savannah cause it made the uptight, straight-laced Zacharia so unhinged. That was my favorite. I'm not really spoiling anything. These two scenes are just some of the gems you will read in this brilliant, well- written book. I received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems and Booksirens.com.
I voluntarily agreed to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I've read by this author. I didn't read the first however, I will definitely read it now. This book was smart and funny and dealt with serious social issues. It also had sex scenes that were very hot. Savannah Connor ( it used to be O’Connor but had to change it b/c of the prejudices of the day against the Irish) is surrogate fighting for women rights. Zach Garret is the constable of the town she is protesting in. Zacharia arrests Savanna in the streets where she protests and takes her to the police station. Zacharia threatens to throw in jail and Savanna dares him too. Zacharia is a widower with a son and a wife he still loves, however, he can not resist the allure of this beautiful provocative women who drives him insane with her incendiary views of the world. They are total opposites who are very drawn towards each other despite their political views. I loved these two. They were funny and liked how they tried to one-up each other. As if they were playing chess. Lol. The dialogue was crisp and sharp and as I said before very funny. I also love the scene when Savanna tries to recruit one of the women (Lydia) in town to join forces with her cause despite Zacharia’s demand not too. Lol. Also, Lydia telling her friend Sallie that there must be so ethic too Savannah cause it made the uptight, straight-laced Zacharia so unhinged. That was my favorite. I'm not really spoiling anything. These two scenes are just some of the gems you will read in this brilliant, well- written book. I received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems and Booksirens.com.
November 4, 2021
3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I never read the previous book in this series, but this entry works fine as a standalone. It's a bit of a change of pace for me, as I usually go for Regencies, and this is set in the American South in the late 1800's. I'm rounding up because the storyline dips its toes into the early struggle for women's rights, a time period I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know enough about. As the first chapter unfolds, there are implications of what these pioneering ladies had to deal with (imprisonment and alienation from society, for starters). As the plot continued, I was dismayed that the h fell too much into the "strident feminist" stereotype at times. However, I liked the banter between her and the H and thought the steamy scenes were the perfect amount of heat--not too graphic, but with plenty of spice. I also liked the relationship between the H and his son.
I think my main complaint would be that the dialog and situations occasionally pulled me out of the setting, and I felt as if I were reading a typical contemporary romance. At other times, H's dialog seemed rather "old Western-y", and I would forget I wasn't reading a Western.
Nothing too deep in the plot, with the sparks between H/h providing most of the complications. There is a definite late 1990's/early-2000's-Romance novel vibe (probably owing to the fact that this is an updated e-book version of a book that originally came out around this time).
I've liked many of Tracy Sumner's books in the past, and I would rate this right in the middle of the pack. It's a fun read, nothing memorable.
Heat level: 4; premarital sex scenes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I think my main complaint would be that the dialog and situations occasionally pulled me out of the setting, and I felt as if I were reading a typical contemporary romance. At other times, H's dialog seemed rather "old Western-y", and I would forget I wasn't reading a Western.
Nothing too deep in the plot, with the sparks between H/h providing most of the complications. There is a definite late 1990's/early-2000's-Romance novel vibe (probably owing to the fact that this is an updated e-book version of a book that originally came out around this time).
I've liked many of Tracy Sumner's books in the past, and I would rate this right in the middle of the pack. It's a fun read, nothing memorable.
Heat level: 4; premarital sex scenes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2021
Opposites do Attract!
Tides of Passion focuses on Zach, the oldest Garrett brother and a widower who’s sworn to keep the peace, raise his son and never, ever marry again. Zach is beyond complicated. As a young man he set out on his own, sowing his oats and living a passionate life when family circumstances brings him back home and he steps into the role of caretaker for his younger brothers. He marries a girl he’s known forever and while he loves her deeply he feels she is fragile and he curbs his passionate nature. When she dies he feels like he’s failed everyone in his life who matters.
Enter Savannah Connor. Savannah is a close friend of Elle’s, Zach’s sister in law, and she comes to town to take over Elle’s school. She’s an outsider, passionate about women’s rights and stirs up all sorts of trouble for the town’s favorite constable. Zach finds her simultaneously annoying and fascinating and she challenges him to feel things he thought he had long buried. Savannah is also complicated but she is intrigued by Zach and loves to get him fired up. The tension between Zach and Savannah sizzles and they spark feelings in each other that both frighten and excite them.
While you don’t need to read Tides of Love first, it does help layout the story line and introduces the brothers but honestly, Tracy Sumner’s writing style is so fluid it’s easy to immerse yourself in her stories. Her characters that are multidimensional, flawed yet likeable, passionate and believable. Sometimes you want to smack them upside the head and other times you cry with them. Highly recommend!
Tides of Passion focuses on Zach, the oldest Garrett brother and a widower who’s sworn to keep the peace, raise his son and never, ever marry again. Zach is beyond complicated. As a young man he set out on his own, sowing his oats and living a passionate life when family circumstances brings him back home and he steps into the role of caretaker for his younger brothers. He marries a girl he’s known forever and while he loves her deeply he feels she is fragile and he curbs his passionate nature. When she dies he feels like he’s failed everyone in his life who matters.
Enter Savannah Connor. Savannah is a close friend of Elle’s, Zach’s sister in law, and she comes to town to take over Elle’s school. She’s an outsider, passionate about women’s rights and stirs up all sorts of trouble for the town’s favorite constable. Zach finds her simultaneously annoying and fascinating and she challenges him to feel things he thought he had long buried. Savannah is also complicated but she is intrigued by Zach and loves to get him fired up. The tension between Zach and Savannah sizzles and they spark feelings in each other that both frighten and excite them.
While you don’t need to read Tides of Love first, it does help layout the story line and introduces the brothers but honestly, Tracy Sumner’s writing style is so fluid it’s easy to immerse yourself in her stories. Her characters that are multidimensional, flawed yet likeable, passionate and believable. Sometimes you want to smack them upside the head and other times you cry with them. Highly recommend!
March 22, 2020
ONE EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!!!
Move 'em out! Tracy bestows all the sensual, sexy, heat and magic, mixing it up and laying it out with such perfection, fervor, ingenuity and a unique insight for detail, welding this gem together sleek, shiny and tight. Sparks fly as drama, intrigue, misgivings, confusion and sticky situations along with a boatload of humor while dodging calamity, you have one block busting adventure. A tumultuous wild ride full of fevrent events and surprising circumstances, blow this little fella wide open. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, kicking this bad boy into a raging tempest, blasting it into a tailspin with a mind-blowing culmination. The attraction and chemistry sizzles from the pages and suck you in so deeply until you feel the heat and electricity thrumming through your veins. Treading the trials and tribulations, noting the shocking twists and wicked turns, testing our characters in ways they could have never envisioned. The dynamics and countenance in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this web so deep until everything else ceases to exist. You feel everything the characters feel, you become a part of the adventure instead of on the sideline. The characters are complex and authentic with depth and traits that blend and flow, transforming into genuinely relatable personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Remarkable job Tracy, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
Move 'em out! Tracy bestows all the sensual, sexy, heat and magic, mixing it up and laying it out with such perfection, fervor, ingenuity and a unique insight for detail, welding this gem together sleek, shiny and tight. Sparks fly as drama, intrigue, misgivings, confusion and sticky situations along with a boatload of humor while dodging calamity, you have one block busting adventure. A tumultuous wild ride full of fevrent events and surprising circumstances, blow this little fella wide open. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, kicking this bad boy into a raging tempest, blasting it into a tailspin with a mind-blowing culmination. The attraction and chemistry sizzles from the pages and suck you in so deeply until you feel the heat and electricity thrumming through your veins. Treading the trials and tribulations, noting the shocking twists and wicked turns, testing our characters in ways they could have never envisioned. The dynamics and countenance in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this web so deep until everything else ceases to exist. You feel everything the characters feel, you become a part of the adventure instead of on the sideline. The characters are complex and authentic with depth and traits that blend and flow, transforming into genuinely relatable personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Remarkable job Tracy, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
January 29, 2021
“Tides of Love” is book 1 in the Garrett Brothers Trilogy, and I enjoyed it so much that I read the other 2 in quick succession. Book 2 is “Tides of Passion” and book 3 is “Tides of Desire.” You can definitely enjoy each as a stand-alone, but the characters are so good that I urge you to read them all, like I did. This series is set at the end of the 19th century, a dynamic time period when women were struggling for the right to vote and to be treated as equals to men. The stories take place in a small island town in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The author brings it to life so clearly you can practically smell the wharf and feel the breeze that sometimes blows in off the ocean.
“Tides of Passion” is book 2 of the Garrett Brothers Trilogy. It focuses on Zachariah, the oldest brother, who is a widower with a young son and is also the town Constable. He meets Savannah when he is called in to deal with a loud rally she has stirred up, championing women’s rights. She is fiercely devoted to the cause of educating women and getting better treatment for them in the workplace. Zach and Savannah find that chemistry between them is irresistible, although neither is looking for a relationship. The secret relationship they embark upon is difficult to keep hidden, and then they both have to deal with the consequences that include feelings neither of them intended to have. I thought this was a very emotional story. I really liked the HEA, his son Rory, his brothers and all the other secondary characters. Great read!
“Tides of Passion” is book 2 of the Garrett Brothers Trilogy. It focuses on Zachariah, the oldest brother, who is a widower with a young son and is also the town Constable. He meets Savannah when he is called in to deal with a loud rally she has stirred up, championing women’s rights. She is fiercely devoted to the cause of educating women and getting better treatment for them in the workplace. Zach and Savannah find that chemistry between them is irresistible, although neither is looking for a relationship. The secret relationship they embark upon is difficult to keep hidden, and then they both have to deal with the consequences that include feelings neither of them intended to have. I thought this was a very emotional story. I really liked the HEA, his son Rory, his brothers and all the other secondary characters. Great read!
January 12, 2023
This is Book 2 in the Garrett brothers series. I haven't read Book 1, though I was pleasantly surprised to discover I own it, so I will be reading it shortly. You don't have to read Book 1 first to follow along but it would be more interesting to get the back story. I really enjoyed this book! Savannah came from the North, came to shake things up in Pilot Isle by pushing women's issues such as voting and (more) equal pay. That's what she did in NY, and immediately caused a stir in the very conservative town. There was an instant attraction between her and the constable, Zach Garrett. But he was a grieving widower and had plans to never marry again. The two agree on an ongoing romantic tryst (independent woman lifestyle and all that), and manage to keep the town completely in the dark about it, due to their volatile relationship and frequent arguing. Well, they kept it mum for a while, until they got caught. It was really great to see Zach come to forgive himself for his wife's death, as he felt he failed her, and learn to live again. Savannah, in turn, had been let down by men in the past, including her father and brother, and was gun-shy to learn to trust any man. But sometimes life pushes one into unexpected situations, so one has little choice but go on - maybe even rise to this new occasion. Lots of sexual tension between the two protagonists, spicy read. I highly recommend this book and will start Book 1 today! I did receive an advance copy of this book for free, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
May 1, 2020
In this passionate, provocative romance, a spirited woman committed to stamping out social injustice finds herself battling a town constable... for her heart.
She is his greatest temptation.
He is her forbidden desire.
A battle of wills leads to love.
Spirited Savannah Connor is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet, when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable.
Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man she's had the misfortune to meet. And, suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle — this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. And, avoiding love. But Savannah Connor isn’t an ordinary woman — and she proves hard to ignore. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions Zach thought he’d never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears. And risk his heart once more.
This is a great read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great romance with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
She is his greatest temptation.
He is her forbidden desire.
A battle of wills leads to love.
Spirited Savannah Connor is passionately committed to stamping out social injustice. Yet, when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable.
Zachariah Garrett is the most arrogant, infuriating, maddeningly attractive man she's had the misfortune to meet. And, suddenly, Savannah is fighting a whole new battle — this one against her own yearning for a man who is impossible to resist.
Ever since his wife’s death two years ago, Zachariah Garrett has dedicated his life to keeping the peace. And, avoiding love. But Savannah Connor isn’t an ordinary woman — and she proves hard to ignore. She’s a beguiling beauty with the power to awaken emotions Zach thought he’d never feel again, and the tenderness to help him forget his fears. And risk his heart once more.
This is a great read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great romance with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
February 21, 2019
This historical title is situated in the late 19th century along the coast of North Carolina. It is a very well written romance between a women's rights activist of the times and a local constable.
The heat is almost immediate between these two characters.
Zach is a widower with a young son. Savannah is from New York and an oddity in this North Carolina coastal town.
With her commitment to stamping out social injustice. Yet when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable. He is her forbidden desire; she is his greatest temptation.
Can these two people so obviously at odds come together in this passionate and provocative romance?
As said before, I don't usually read this time period much preferring the 1200's - early 1800's but once I picked up this book I simply could not put it down.
This is my first time reading anything by this author but I now want to read the whole series.
I gave this book 4.35 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. This is a sizzling and passionate story with heated love scenes and much tragedy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
The heat is almost immediate between these two characters.
Zach is a widower with a young son. Savannah is from New York and an oddity in this North Carolina coastal town.
With her commitment to stamping out social injustice. Yet when she arrives in Pilot Isle, North Carolina, ready to take up a new cause, she quickly finds herself on the outs with the town constable. He is her forbidden desire; she is his greatest temptation.
Can these two people so obviously at odds come together in this passionate and provocative romance?
As said before, I don't usually read this time period much preferring the 1200's - early 1800's but once I picked up this book I simply could not put it down.
This is my first time reading anything by this author but I now want to read the whole series.
I gave this book 4.35 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. This is a sizzling and passionate story with heated love scenes and much tragedy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
February 1, 2020
"You have to make a leap. Both of you. Love is a grand leap off a cliff without anything to soften the fall"
Savannah Conner from New York City is is a passionate justice seeker and suffragette recently come to Pilot Isle North Carolina to teach women to stand up for themselves. Zachariah Garrett, widowed for 2 years is the Constable of the tiny town where he keeps the peace, saves the stranded, and cares for and about his son and brothers . However, his guilt over his first wife is literally a heavy weight he has to deal with since he hasn't already. Both present as capable, worthy people, but down inside, both are so battered by life it's a wonder that they can function.
These two clash, and continue to intertwine whether they like it or not. Sparks of attraction ignite the best, and worst of a friendship that could become more, only if they acknowledge what everybody else sees.
This book made me laugh and cry. Author Tracy Sumner can write! I love these characters and can see why the Garrett Brothers are some of the author's best sellers. I read this one first because there was a teaser at the end of another story. Now, I am compelled to read the others. [N.B.- the sex in this book is not for kids] Highly recommended 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it]
Savannah Conner from New York City is is a passionate justice seeker and suffragette recently come to Pilot Isle North Carolina to teach women to stand up for themselves. Zachariah Garrett, widowed for 2 years is the Constable of the tiny town where he keeps the peace, saves the stranded, and cares for and about his son and brothers . However, his guilt over his first wife is literally a heavy weight he has to deal with since he hasn't already. Both present as capable, worthy people, but down inside, both are so battered by life it's a wonder that they can function.
These two clash, and continue to intertwine whether they like it or not. Sparks of attraction ignite the best, and worst of a friendship that could become more, only if they acknowledge what everybody else sees.
This book made me laugh and cry. Author Tracy Sumner can write! I love these characters and can see why the Garrett Brothers are some of the author's best sellers. I read this one first because there was a teaser at the end of another story. Now, I am compelled to read the others. [N.B.- the sex in this book is not for kids] Highly recommended 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it]
November 3, 2021
"No matter what you believe, believe this . . . I was lost until you came into my life."
I enjoyed this book far more than book one. Unlike the first book the most important parts were experienced together with the reader versus us being told about them.
Zach is a man living in grief and under a mask of sainthood.
A mask that for some reason he immediately sheds for/to Savannah. While Savannah takes her independence seriously to the point of thinking that an arrangement works just fine for her regardless of societal dictates. This is their story. A story of two people who when love hits them hard, they are too unfamiliar with the feeling that they don't know it's love until it's almost too late.
My only concern:
Some things were mentioned and never explored. Like who hurt her. Or how her father reacted at the end.
The timelines changed, at first it's been months, then it's been weeks.
For being a strong woman, she melts immediately even when he's a jerk. Where is the strong woman if just the thought of sex with him makes her immediately melt and forget his poor behavior towards her?
The story is all about sex but I guess this makes sense since the story is about an arrangement. So be ready for that.
I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it .
I enjoyed this book far more than book one. Unlike the first book the most important parts were experienced together with the reader versus us being told about them.
Zach is a man living in grief and under a mask of sainthood.
A mask that for some reason he immediately sheds for/to Savannah. While Savannah takes her independence seriously to the point of thinking that an arrangement works just fine for her regardless of societal dictates. This is their story. A story of two people who when love hits them hard, they are too unfamiliar with the feeling that they don't know it's love until it's almost too late.
My only concern:
Some things were mentioned and never explored. Like who hurt her. Or how her father reacted at the end.
The timelines changed, at first it's been months, then it's been weeks.
For being a strong woman, she melts immediately even when he's a jerk. Where is the strong woman if just the thought of sex with him makes her immediately melt and forget his poor behavior towards her?
The story is all about sex but I guess this makes sense since the story is about an arrangement. So be ready for that.
I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it .
February 10, 2023
Tracy's books should come with a warning," do not start reading before sleep!!".
I've been dictating my time to that book since I started reading, the way I was hooked from beginning to end, I couldn't stop until I finished it.
.
The way Tracy portrays her characters is just breathtaking, each character has many layers, add that to how she gives insight into how and why every decision was taken by the character, and you suddenly get attached and invested in the story.
Noah and Savannah were an epic couple, I loved both of them to bits, Noah's guilt and overprotective tendencies, Savannah's purpose and loyalty, how their love story was so raw and real, I still can't wrap my mind about it.
.
I was a sucker for the plot, who could resist the single parent trope? Nothing is more heartwarming than a parent, who finds love even after swearing marrying and love off.
.
Moving on, I have to clue you in on the (ahem, ahem) spice level, it's definitely 4 on the spice scale, so if you prefer your romance on the clean, innocent side, that's not the book for you, however, if you love things to be a bit naughty, you found a good book!
.
The ending was bittersweet because they finally got their happily ever after, but that means the book ended, which was sad for this reader.
*Thanks to Tracy Sumner for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I've been dictating my time to that book since I started reading, the way I was hooked from beginning to end, I couldn't stop until I finished it.
.
The way Tracy portrays her characters is just breathtaking, each character has many layers, add that to how she gives insight into how and why every decision was taken by the character, and you suddenly get attached and invested in the story.
Noah and Savannah were an epic couple, I loved both of them to bits, Noah's guilt and overprotective tendencies, Savannah's purpose and loyalty, how their love story was so raw and real, I still can't wrap my mind about it.
.
I was a sucker for the plot, who could resist the single parent trope? Nothing is more heartwarming than a parent, who finds love even after swearing marrying and love off.
.
Moving on, I have to clue you in on the (ahem, ahem) spice level, it's definitely 4 on the spice scale, so if you prefer your romance on the clean, innocent side, that's not the book for you, however, if you love things to be a bit naughty, you found a good book!
.
The ending was bittersweet because they finally got their happily ever after, but that means the book ended, which was sad for this reader.
*Thanks to Tracy Sumner for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
February 14, 2019
A Winning Historical Romance
I hadn’t been a fan of historical romances until I read Tracy Sumner’s. If they are all as good as Tides of Love and Tides of Passion, sign me up. I was absolutely mesmerized by the storyline of tides of Passion. Savannah, a freedom fighter and rally organizer is in North Carolina to help with her friend Elle’s school while Elle finishing her last year in college. Elle’s brother in law, Zach a widower and father who has avowed to never marry again is sent to collect Savannah from the train station. Thus begins their confrontations, heated banter and a steamy agreement between the two. This book is also rich in history, heartache and the strength of communication. I absolutely loved Savannah who has endured so much that only lends to make her stand up for her convictions and I loved Zach, the town constable as well, who lives in regret for expecting so much of his late wife Hannah, a woman too fragile for the hard life in North Carolina. It’s a mistake that he promises to never make again and subject his heart to the pain of the loss of love. Savannah hasn’t felt loved since the loss of her mother so many years ago. Surprisingly, this book has humor and profound sadness. I highly recommend this gem of a book!
I hadn’t been a fan of historical romances until I read Tracy Sumner’s. If they are all as good as Tides of Love and Tides of Passion, sign me up. I was absolutely mesmerized by the storyline of tides of Passion. Savannah, a freedom fighter and rally organizer is in North Carolina to help with her friend Elle’s school while Elle finishing her last year in college. Elle’s brother in law, Zach a widower and father who has avowed to never marry again is sent to collect Savannah from the train station. Thus begins their confrontations, heated banter and a steamy agreement between the two. This book is also rich in history, heartache and the strength of communication. I absolutely loved Savannah who has endured so much that only lends to make her stand up for her convictions and I loved Zach, the town constable as well, who lives in regret for expecting so much of his late wife Hannah, a woman too fragile for the hard life in North Carolina. It’s a mistake that he promises to never make again and subject his heart to the pain of the loss of love. Savannah hasn’t felt loved since the loss of her mother so many years ago. Surprisingly, this book has humor and profound sadness. I highly recommend this gem of a book!
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